
Liverpool return to Anfield this weekend with pressure rising and questions growing louder. Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace, a 0-3 loss at home, followed the painful league defeat to Brentford last weekend. For a squad expected to set the pace again this season, this has been a jolt. Aston Villa arrive at a moment where Liverpool don’t just need a win, they need a performance that settles the noise and restores belief. Here is our Liverpool predicted lineup.
Slot has kept faith in a 4-3-3 structure with aggressive full back play, a technically secure midfield, and fluid movement across the front line. The second string side in midweek couldn’t take their chance, and the response now must come from the first team. Expect Liverpool to lean into control, tempo, and vertical threat here, this is a return to first choice football, not rotation or experimentation.
Form has taken a concerning dip. A strong Champions League showing away to Frankfurt felt like a turning point, but back-to-back domestic defeats have dragged momentum backwards. Palace’s clinical punishment and Brentford’s intensity exposed lapses in concentration, missed chances, and defensive vulnerability. Liverpool need to snap out of this quickly, not for the table, but for tone. Confidence has taken a bruise, and Villa have the quality to make a bad run worse if Liverpool don’t impose themselves early.
Slot confirmed in Friday’s press conference that Alexander Isak and Alisson Becker remain unavailable, with both yet to return to full involvement. Ryan Gravenberch is back in training and available for selection, which gives midfield depth a welcome lift. Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined long-term, while Jeremy Frimpong remains unavailable. There was no fresh injury concern flagged post Palace, but Slot did stress the need for intensity and sharper focus, a clear message to the players competing for their places.
GK Giorgi Mamardashvili
RB Conor Bradley
CB Ibrahima Konate
CB Virgil van Dijk (c)
LB Andy Robertson
CM Dominik Szoboszlai
CM Alexis Mac Allister
AM Florian Wirtz
RW Mohamed Salah
CF Hugo Ekitike
LW Cody Gakpo
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